USS Phantom: Theory In Action
by triptpol85
Summary: They all thought he was dead. No one thought it was possible that he had escaped his fate. They would never know that he did...or how.
1. Prologue

Star Trek U.S.S Phantom: Theory in Action

Prologue

by TripTpol85

He knew time was of the essence, his crew and his friends that he had learned to call family were all depending on him. If he failed, they would all die. Walking in the direction of the bridge of the ship, he had his weapon drawn for any resistance he might encounter. With a tricorder in his other hand, he was scanning for one human life sign. He was searching for his captain.

Walking up to the console on the wall, he entered the combination of hieroglyphic symbols that had worked mere hours earlier, calculating that the access codes had not yet been changed. A phaser blast hit the deck plating next to him. The officer felt the heat radiate off the blasted deck plating and smelled the burning metal as he reacted to his assailant. Rolling to the left and lifting his phaser at the same time, he stunned the Reman in the shoulder as he was going for cover. Returning to the console, he punched in the final sequence. The door had barely finished opening before he was halfway down the corridor, running towards the bridge. Turning the final corner, he saw that the door to the bridge had already been blasted open. A Reman was dead on the floor, the blast wound created by a Starfleet issued plasma rifle. He knew his captain had been here. Advancing slowly with his weapon at the ready, he walked through the door. The bridge was in disarray, sparks and wiring falling from the damaged ceiling and consoles. There were injuried or dead Reman soldiers scattered about the bridge. Nothing seemed to be functioning properly.

Cautiously, the Starfleet officer walked through the battle tattered bridge, in case any more Reman soldiers were waiting to attack him. After a quick glance around the room and finding no one conscious, he started to walk up the stairs, where he could hear the buzzing of the thalaron weapon charging. The computer was systematically telling the occupants of the ship the status of the charge. It seemed to be the only thing left operational on the bridge. Entering the room, the officer found his captain leaning against the wall. His clone, Shinzon, was dead in front of him, impaled. His captain, unresponsive, was in shock. Without debating about how he should act, the Starfleet officer took out his ETU, Emergency Transport Unit, while he advanced towards his captain knowing he was about to forfeit his only escape route.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard had not noticed his comrade walking into the room, or walking up to him. Picard's face showed his surprise as the Starfleet officer pushed the ETU onto his left shoulder, starting the energizing sequence. Picard never got a chance to argue with his comrade: he was de-materialized off the bridge of the _Scimitar_ just as he realized who had rescued him, and the cost of his rescue. Jean-Luc Picard would never get to thank his friend for saving his life.

After saying goodbye to his captain, the android turned his phaser towards the thalaron generator, firing his weapon just as the generator was reaching full capacity. He was expecting it to be the end. He knew he was successful in saving his captain and crew mates on the _Enterprise_. As the explosion from the thalaron generator was about to strike him, he was de-materialized off the bridge, barely saving him from becoming a part of the ship that was quickly disintegrating around him.

The Starfleet officer re-materialized in a transporter room on another ship that he did not recognize. Before he even got a chance to ascertain where he was, the officer was thrown to the floor by a shock wave, which he presumed was the destruction the _Scimitar,_ where he had been moments ago.

* * *

To his old crew, Data had died in the line of duty, saving the _Enterprise_, her captain, and her crew from being killed by the thalaron weapon on the Reman battle cruiser, the _Scimitar_. His crewmates and friends had no idea he had been transported off the _Scimitar_ just as it was exploding. They had no idea Data was about to be enlisted to another crew, on another ship, that according to Starfleet records, never existed. They would mourn the loss of a fine Starfleet officer and a friend.

Lieutenant Commander Data was about to embark on a new adventure that would never be recorded or logged in any Starfleet database. Lieutenant Commander Data had been beamed aboard his new ship, the _U.S.S Phantom_.

* * *

_Author's Note: This story is my attempt to continue from the movie Star Trek Nemesis without breaking the Star Trek Next Generation Canon. Review and let me know what you think. I will be post more chapters soon._

_Also special thanks to my beta Le'Letha. Without Le'Letha's wonderful insight and grammatical knowledge this story/summary would not be nearly as good as it is now. _

_I do not own anything in the Star Trek universe, I am just having some fun with it. _


	2. New Ship

Star Trek U.S.S Phantom: Theory In Action

New Ship

by TripTpol85

As Data stood up carefully, since the ship he had been transported to was still shaking slightly, he scanned the transporter room. The transporter room was smaller than any on the _Enterprise_. Studying the transporter room's layout, Data thought it looked very similar to a _Defiant_-class transport room, with slight discrepancies. Realizing that no one else was in the room, he walked towards the transporter console to see if he could ascertain what vessel he was currently on.

"Computer, activate transporter room console," asked Data

"Unable to comply," replied the vessel's computer. Data didn't recognize the voice. It was similar to the feminine voice that was used on the _Enterprise-D_ and _–E;_ however, this one sounded younger.

"Explain," asked Data.

"The transporter room console has been disconnected from main power," responded the computer.

Data tapped his commbadge, saying: "Data to Captain Picard."

When he received no response, he realized that Captain Picard might be unavailable since his return from the _Scimitar_. He decided he would try to reach his friend Geordi La Forge. "Data to Geordi La Forge." When there was again no reply, Data concluded that communications must have been damaged during the battle with the _Scimitar_.

"Computer, locate Captain Picard and Geordi La Forge," Data asked the computer, hoping that the whereabouts of his crew-mates would help him pinpoint what room in what vessel he was on.

"Captain Picard and Geordi La Forge are not aboard this vessel," answered the computer after a few seconds.

Deciding that someone outside might be able to help, Data walked towards the Transporter Room door, stopping when he realized that the door was not going to open. Thinking it might have been damaged in the shock wave that had hit earlier, he removed the panel next to the door to perform a manual override. His idea of manually opening the door was terminated when he saw no circuitry at all behind the access panel. Walking back to the transporter console, Data tried different combinations of key commands to get the console to activate with no success.

Data took another look at the room. With Data's acute hearing, he could always hear the hum of the warp engines on the _Enterprise_, but the warp engine on this ship sounded different. It was a sound he had never heard before, which he found curious.

"Computer, what class of Starfleet vessel is this ship?" asked Data as he walked around the room looking for another way out.

"This ship is a _Defiant-_class vessel," replied the computer.

Data then asked, "Computer, this vessel does not comply to the specification and dimensions of a _Defiant_-class vessel. Explain."

"Unable to comply. Please restate your inquiry," replied the computer.

Data looked around the room again. The design and layout was definitely Starfleet design. The bulkheads, and all the command terminals were not as modern as the _Enterprise-E_ but more along the style of the _Enterprise-D_. However, he did not know of a transporter room on a Federation vessel that had the dimensions of this room. The room was only slightly wider than the _Defiant_ transporter room. Data decided that the name of the vessel might help him find some answers. "Computer, what is the name of this vessel?"

"_U.S.S Phantom_," replied the computer.

"Computer, what is the _U.S.S Phantom_'s registration?" asked Data.

"The _U.S.S Phantom_ does not have a Starfleet registration," replied the computer.

"Does this vessel have any registration?" asked Data as he walked back to the inactive transporter console.

"The _U.S.S Phantom_ does not have any known registration," replied the computer.

"Computer, what is the origin of this vessel?" asked Data, trying to get a definitive answer.

"You do not have clearance for that information, Lieutenant Commander Data," stated the computer. Data found the answers from the computer increased the mystery that was unfolding. He thought the name and registration would help him determine where he was. However, now all Data knew was that he was on a Starfleet vessel of unknown origin. Also, the responses from the computer sounded more like a person talking to him than a computer.

"Is the _U.S.S Phantom_ a Starfleet vessel?" asked Data as he heard the door open. Data turned as the new occupant answered his question for him. "Yes the _U.S.S Phantom_ is a Starfleet vessel. The only thing is, the _U.S.S Phantom_ officially does not exist."

"Hugh, what are you doing here?" asked Data as he stared at his Borg friend. He noticed that several of his implants had been removed since he had last seen Hugh. He was in a Starfleet uniform, and had the buttons that showed his rank of Lieutenant. Hugh still had his ocular implant on his left eye, but his skin had been returned to its natural color instead of the Borg white skin.

Smiling at his old acquaintance, Hugh said, "I am this vessel's chief engineer. Starfleet doesn't like to assign postings to drones that have gained individuality, but seeing as this ship technically doesn't exist, it doesn't matter. Come with me, the acting captain wants to see you."

Walking out of the transporter room, Data noticed again that the basic design and layout of the ship he was currently being guided through had distinct similarities to a _Defiant-_class starship. Data turned to his escort, asking, "Hugh, what class of starship is this vessel? I asked the computer, and it stated this vessel was a _Defiant_-class starship. However, I know the specifications for all Starfleet ships and while this vessel is close, it does not match the _Defiant_-class specifications."

"First off, the computer's a she. She does not like being called 'it'. As for your other question, I think I will let the acting captain explain that one to you. Once I drop you off in the captain's ready room I need to go back to Main Engineering to finish calibrating the warp drives," responded Hugh.

Data then asked, "Hugh, do you mean that the _Phantom_ does not have a captain? And what do you mean, the computer is a she? Computers generally do not have a gender, either male or female."

"Yes Data, that is correct, computers don't have a gender, but this one considers herself a female. As for the captain of this vessel, the _Phantom_ has only been out of dry dock for about three weeks, so one has not been officially assigned. We were suppose to be in dry dock longer to get the warp drives configured, but when the Romulan government was overthrown, with a Reman as the new Praetor, we were ordered to follow the _Enterprise_."

Entering the turbolift, Data reflected on everything he had observed since he had arrived on the _Phantom_. He knew every ship that Starfleet had ever put into production and even ships that never got beyond being designs on a drawing board. Still, he could not logically deduce how the vessel he was currently on was a _Defiant_-class ship. If Data were human, he would say that he was on a prototype of a _Defiant-_class starship, the only problem with that assumption was Data knew the prototype _Defiant_-class starship was the _U.S.S Defiant,_ NX-74205, which had resided at Deep Space 9. The Defiant was also later destroyed at the Second Battle of Chin'toka five years ago in 2374. Only two _Defiant_-class vessels remained in existence after the destruction of the original, the _Valiant_, and the _Sao Paulo. _Both vessels were designed and constructed to the same design specification as the _U.S.S Defiant._

Arriving on the bridge, Data walked with Hugh towards the captain's ready room. Before entering the room, Hugh turned to Data and said, "I look forward to serving with you, Data." Data never got a chance to respond as the doors to the captain's ready room opened and they walked in.

As Data entered the room, he looked around. The room was small: it looked to have been used as living quarters at one point. However where the bed once was, there was now a small shiny wooden desk with several data padds on it. There was a Vulcan woman sitting in the chair behind the desk, and there was another chair on the other side of the desk, both Star Fleet issue.

"Captain, I have brought Commander Data as you asked. I believe he has questions that would be better answered by you. I will be in Main Engineering calibrating the warp cores if you need anything."

Swiveling in her chair, the acting captain put down her data padd to nod at her new crew-mate. "Thank you, Hugh, keep me informed on your progress with the warp cores' calibration. Hello, Commander Data, it is agreeable to meet you. I have read many papers about you but I have never had the chance to meet you. I am Lieutenant Saarn. Please take a seat." Hugh left the captain's ready room as Data was trying to put the pieces of the mystery together.

Saarn was tall, even for a female Vulcan. At the height of 1.9 meters, she was just under six feet two inches tall. As Data was sitting down, Saarn turned off her computer screen and turned to give Data her full attention. "Lieutenant Commander Data, let me first welcome you aboard the _U.S.S Phantom_. I apologize for leaving you inside the transporter room, but we had to take care of some red tape first. Do you have an question that you wish to ask before we proceed?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Saarn. When I was walking with Hugh, he referred to you as acting captain, is that statement correct?"

Saarn stood up and walked to the replicator. "Chamomile. Hot." Turning around and walking back, Saarn said "That statement is correct, Lieutenant Commander. The _Phantom_ does not have a captain at the moment. I am the Science Officer. Since I have the highest rank, I have assumed, for the time being, the responsibilities of captain."

While Data found this new bit of information intriguing, he had other questions that needed to be answered.

"Captain Saarn, when can I be returned to the _Enterprise_? I'm sure the crew is . . ."

Before Data could finish speaking, Captain Saarn put up her hand to interrupt. "Data, according to Starfleet official records, you are deceased. You sacrificed your life destroying the thalaron weapon aboard the _Scimitar_, saving your captain and the crew of the _Enterprise_. I have been informed by my superior that you will be awarded the Captain Pike Medal of Valor for the sacrifice that you made in service to your captain and crew aboard the _Scimitar_."

"Captain Saarn, may I ask who authorized this? And furthermore, how are you going to cover up that none of my body parts or components are in the wreckage? I am sure that Captain Picard and the rest of the crew of the _Enterprise_ will search the debris for any of my remains."

Like all Vulcans, Saarn remained emotionless throughout the entire conversation, occasionally taking a sip of the tea she had gotten from the replicator. Taking a slow breath to focus her mind, she opened her eyes and looked straight at Data.

"Well, Data, your second question will be less complicated to answer so I will answer it first. Thanks to you, we don't have to 'cover up', as you say, why you are not in the wreckage. When you fired your phaser at the thalaron weapon, the weapon destabilized and the stored energy released from the weapon's charge incinerated the _Scimitar_. We were so close when we beamed you off that we were temporarily visible to the _Enterprise_ and the other two Romulan Warbirds. We had to make quick repairs to bring our . . . stealth technology back online before we were noticed. That is part of the reason why you were left alone in the transporter room."

"Captain, how is it that the _Enterprise _and the other two Romulan warbirds are unable to detect the presence of this ship?"

"That question will have to be answered later, Lieutenant Commander," stated Saarn.

Saarn paused briefly to take another sip of her tea before continuing to talk to Data. "As for your first question, about who authorized this, you will meet your new commander soon enough." Walking around the desk to get a data padd off the shelf, Saarn returned saying: "Now that we have made introductions, are there any more question can I answer for you before my superior gets started briefing you for your new assignment?"

Data stared at Saarn, reviewing all the information he had assimilated since he was beamed aboard the _Phantom_. "Captain, why is it that I am being declared deceased, killed in action? Furthermore, what type of vessel is the _Phantom_? I know every vessel that Starfleet has designed and assembled, but I am not sure of the class of this vessel. The computer stated that this was a _Defiant_-class vessel however there are slight design discrepancies, and furthermore, the sound of the warp engine sounds distinctly different. The _Phantom's_ design is similar to that of the _Defiant_-class yet the _Phantom_ has these distinct differences as well. Is the _Phantom_ a new class of vessel based on the _Defiant_-class?"

Reviewing the data padd she had retrieved, Saarn set it down on her desk. Saarn returned to her computer and motioned for Data to look at the viewscreen on the wall. Saarn then brought up a schematic of the _U.S.S Phantom_.

"Data you were accurate in your assessment of this _U.S.S Phantom_. The _Phantom_ was the other _Defiant_-class prototype built. This ship, unlike the original _Defiant_, is a prototype for a variety of designs. The _Phantom_ has been equipped with a prototype warp drive configuration, computer, and shields. The _Phantom_ also has been equipped with prototype stealth technology that does not violate the Treaty of Algeron. I hope that answers part of your previous inquiry as to why the _Enterprise _ and the warbirds did not detect us. The _U.S.S Phantom_, for security reason, was never recorded as a prototype vessel for the Defiant class because of secretive new designs and configurations. As you know, Data, the _Defiant_-class got a disagreeable start. The designers had evidence that the vessel had a fundamental design flaw after the _Defiant_ was nearly destroyed in the ship's initial shakedown. So both vessels were put in storage, but because this ship was never recorded or documented, it was left in storage where it sat, not forgotten, but carefully hidden until 3 months ago."

Data studied the schematic in front of him while Saarn explained the history of the vessel to him. The _U.S.S Phantom_ was similar in size to the _U.S.S Defiant_, but this vessel was slightly longer to accommodate the extra room needed for the prototype technology that the vessel was carrying. As Data was analyzing the schematic, his android eye's focused on the engineering bay.

"Captain Saarn, according to this schematic of the _Phantom_, there are two warp cores in engineering. Is this a redundant warp system, in the event that one warp core is damaged, there is another that can immediately supersede the other while it is being repaired?"

Captain Saarn just motioned for Data to look at the data padd she had set down in front of him. It had a more detailed schematic of the twin engine design. "Data, the engines on the _Phantom_ are this vessel's most unique design, even compared to the computer system. The warp drives were not designed to be a redundant propulsion system but rather a twin warp drive design to allow for more efficient fuel consumption of the engines."

Data was enamored by this idea of a twin warp drive system, turning his attention back to the schematic he studied the engineering section again. "Captain, this is an intriguing design, but from what I remember the Class-7 Warp Drive had to have power diverted from the weapons system to reach its full warp velocity. Does this design also have that constraint?"

Captain Saarn brought up another schematic of the engineering bay onto the viewscreen, which presented a more detailed view of the _Phantom_'s twin warp core system.

"Data, you are correct. This ship was originally equipped with two Class-7 warp drives, but thanks to our commander, we were able to receive two discarded prototype Mini Class-9 Warp drives which are being installed and configured now."

Data turned to the data padd again to study the _Phantom's_ twin warp drive schematic in front of him and asked, "Captain, I recall the Mini Class-9 Warp drive was designed based on the Class-9 Warp drive that was installed in the _Intrepid_-class of Starfleet vessels. From what I recall of reading about the Mini Class-9 Warp drive, it endeavored to be more fuel efficient and faster warp drive for the fleet's runabouts and escort vessels. However due to the size and the requirements for the warp drive, the project was abandoned due to the area needed for the warp drive to be installed. The new warp drive would take up virtually all the room in the runabouts and escorts."

Data was once told by his friend, Geordi La Forge, that the project was doomed to fail when they decided to call it a Mini Class-9 engine, as it would never fit the size requirements. Geordi had said the Class-9 was too sophisticated to scale down to fit in runabouts or escort vessels.

Captain Saarn nodded her head as Data turned his attention from the schematic back to her. "I must admit, Data, I foresee that you are going to be a perfect addition to our crew. You are correct about the Mini Class-9 Warp drive. The _Phantom_'s larger engineering bay allows for sufficient room for twin Mini Class-9 Warp drives since the Class-7 Warp drive was larger than the Mini Class-9. The challenge is getting the Mini Class-9 Warp cores calibrated so it will allow them to work in tandem with each other."

Data turned his attention back to the schematics on the data pad in his hands with sudden realization of what this warp drive configuration might offer. Studying the designs and the configuration of the two Mini Class-9 Warp drives, Data turned back to Captain Saarn as she was taking another sip of her tea.

"Captain, what is the maximum warp speed of the _Phantom_ with the twin warp drive system?"

Captain Saarn set her tea down. Moving to her computer, Captain Saarn brought up a specification page about the Mini Class-9 Warp Drive onto the view screen. "As you can see Data, the Mini Class-9 warp drive has a theoretical top warp velocity of warp 7.975. However, since the design was never fully tested we are not able to predict if this speed is possible. The Mini Class-9 warp drives highest test velocity achieved was warp 6.2 before the project was canceled. Knowing that the engines can reach a velocity of warp 6.2, theoretically with our current engine configuration, the Phantom should have a top speed on warp 12.4."

Data's emotion chip showed the surprise on his face. Everything he had read suggested that velocities in excess of warp 10 was not possible. Remembering an event from the _U.S.S Voyager_, Data recalled a log about when the _Voyager_ crew attempted to break the warp 10 barrier with a shuttlecraft in hopes to apply the technology to _Voyager_ and accelerate their journey home.

"Captain, didn't Lieutenant Tom Paris in 2372 break the Warp 10 barrier with disastrous side effects with the shuttlecraft Cochrane while Voyager was in the Delta Quadrant? From the logs that I reviewed, it seemed that they deduced once a a vessel broke the warp 10 barrier, the vessel was occupying all places in the universe at the same time?"

"Data, you are correct. However the shuttlecraft _Cochrane_ only had one warp engine when it broke the warp 10 barrier. Hugh and I believe that the warp field from a single warp drive was not able to provide a sufficiently stable warp field for velocities exceeding warp 10. When Lieutenant Paris reached warp 10 in the shuttlecraft _Cochrane_, instead of the warp field failing, it allowed the ship to be everywhere at once. However neither Hugh nor I are able to explain how being everywhere at once is possible or why the warp field around the _Cochrane_ didn't just collapse. We do not have enough data to complete a theory for how, as _Voyager_ logs suggest, being everywhere at once is possible."

"Captain Saarn, are you suggesting with two warp engines producing a tandem warp field that we will be able to surpass the warp 10 barrier with no side effects? Also, how is it possible that we can travel faster than warp 10 if each Mini Class-9 warp drive is only capable of a theoretical top speed of 6.2?"

"When the _Phantom_ was first designed with twin Class-7 warp engines, the design team's goal was to be able to travel at a velocity of warp 6 using less fuel. Their theory was if a vessel had twin warp drives both running at warp 6, both would consume significantly less fuel supply to maintain warp 6. This would reduce the Federation's energy consumption and extend Starfleet vessels' fuel capacity. When the initial testing on the twin warp drive configuration commenced, they encountered an unexpected discovery. When the twin warp drives were reading warp 2, the velocity of the vessel was actually warp 4. Later the designers also discovered after analyzing the rest of the data on both the warp drives, each warp drive used 23.8292% less fuel than a normal vessel going at warp 2 with a single engine configuration."

"Fascinating!" reacted Data, with his emotion chip still activated. Saarn didn't seem to be affected by Data's human reactions to the information she was relaying to him. However, Saarn did find it interesting that an android could experience emotion. She had read that Data was capable of emotion thanks to an emotion chip from Doctor Soong but also that he could turn off the emotion chip at will. She had thought serving with Lieutenant Commander Data would be similar to serving with other Vulcans.

Before Captain Saarn was able to respond to Commander Data's statement, her commbadge buzzed. Touching her commbadge, Captain Saarn said, "Saarn here."

"Captain, Hugh here, we just received communication from the vice admiral. She is now ready to begin briefing Commander Data on his new assignment. She has also requested that you be there."

"Thank you, Hugh, tell the vice admiral that we are ready at her earliest convenience. Please direct the incoming transmission to my ready room. Saarn out." Turning towards Data, Saarn cleared the schematics off the view screen. The Federation logo remained on the screen while the vice admiral was being patched through. "Data, as to the first question you asked about who authorized this, you will be introduced to her in a few moments."

Data turned his attention from Captain Saarn to the viewscreen, hoping to have more of his questions answered by the vice admiral he was about to meet.

* * *

_Author's Note: Review and let me know what you think. I will be post more chapters soon. Chapter 2 will be in another week. So look for Chapter 2 next week. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story._

_Also special thanks to my beta Le'Letha. Without Le'Letha's wonderful insight and grammatical knowledge this story would not be nearly as good as it is now. _

_I do not own anything in the Star Trek universe, I am just having some fun with it.  
_


	3. New Assignment

**Chapter 2 - New Assignment**

Captain Saarn and Data didn't have to wait long for the incoming transmission to be patched through to the captain's ready room. The viewscreen brightened, showing the vice admiral waiting for the connection to be completed. Captain Saarn straightened her already perfect posture as the vice admiral appeared on the screen and greeted her.

"Vice Admiral Janeway, it is agreeable to see you again."

There, sitting at her desk at Starfleet Command, was Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway. Janeway had several data padds on her desk, along with a hot coffee that was steaming. Data noticed the constant steam coming from the mug suggesting that it was freshly brewed. Her posture was more relaxed than either Saarn or Data. Smiling at them, Vice Admiral Janeway picked a data padd before continuing.

"It's good to see you again, Saarn. Lieutenant Commander Data, I apologize for the quick decision on our part to not allow you to be returned to your crew. We could not let a Starfleet officer die when we could prevent it. However, to return you to your crew aboard the _Enterprise_ would raise too many questions that we can't afford to be asked at this point in time. Are there questions that I can answer for you before I start briefing you on your new assignment?"

"Vice Admiral Janeway, is this ship and crew a part of Section 31? I have not been able to ascertain, in my short time aboard the _Phantom_, if this vessel is a Starfleet vessel, or the registration for this vessel," asked Data.

"No, Lieutenant Commander. Section 31 is a rogue agency that claims to be part of Starfleet Intelligence, as you know. Section 31 operates to protect the interest of the Federation, however they will do anything to accomplish that goal, with no regard to the Federation's goals and ideals," responded the Vice Admiral, with a slightly disheveled look on her face.

Janeway relaxed taking a sip of her coffee before continuing, "This ship and crew are a part of Starfleet. Only the top brass in Starfleet even know of the _Phantom_'s existence. Also, the crew that will serve on this vessel are officially dead, missing in action, or too highly classified to even be recorded, period. Does that answer your question, Commander, for the time being?"

"Yes, Vice Admiral. However, I have one more question. Who was responsible for the formation of this ship and crew?" asked Data.

Janeway relaxed in her chair putting down a data padd that she had been using when Data had first asked the Vice Admiral about the _Phantom'_s origin and its allegiance. Janeway took one more sip of her coffee, before setting it down next to her data padd. Focusing her complete attention on Commander Data, Vice Admiral Janeway leaned forward towards her viewscreen.

"I was, Lieutenant Commander. After my return from the Delta Quadrant, I realized that Starfleet needed a vessel that could operate covertly to ensure the safety of the Federation. Once I was promoted to Vice Admiral, I worked with several Fleet Admirals to get this ship and crew together. With their help, I was able to procure a ship and a skeleton crew for the ship, and various other technologies that would aid the _Phantom_ on her missions. I was placed in command of the operations of the _Phantom_. Due to the secretive nature of the _Phantom_, I will be your only contact from Starfleet. Is there anything else, Lieutenant Commander Data?"

"No, Vice Admiral," answered Data.

Relaxing from her previous posture, Janeway grabbed her coffee and took a sip, enjoying the unique aroma and the taste. Picking up her data padd and scrolling through it, she looked back at Saarn and Data.

"Good, now for your new assignment, Lieutenant Commander Data. You are being assigned as Captain of the _U.S.S Phantom_ and are being promoted from Lieutenant Commander to Captain. I believe that you should be able to excel at this position, seeing as you were about to be promoted to Commander on the _Enterprise_ once Commander William Riker took command of the _U.S.S Titan_. Also you have had several command experiences while you served under Jean-Luc Picard. Do you have any questions related to your new post, Captain?"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Janeway. What is our mission and who are my crew? For instance, who is going to be the ship's first officer? Is it going to be Acting Captain Saarn," asked Data as he turned to her.

Saarn, having stayed silent respectfully during the conversation between her new captain and her commander, looked at the Vice Admiral with a raised eyebrow before saying, "Vice Admiral, I have not finished briefing Captain Data about this ship or crew yet. I think you would be a more logical choice to explain to the Captain the ship's crew and her first officer." Vice Admiral Janeway turned her attention towards Saarn, adjusting her cuffs before leaning backwards in her armchair.

"Saarn, you remind me of Tuvok. Before I finish briefing Captain Data, Lieutenant Saarn, I am promoting you to Lieutenant Commander, and you still remain the _Phantom_'s Chief Science Officer. Thank you for acting as captain of the _Phantom_, you have done a superb job." Turning her attention back towards Captain Data, Vice Admiral Janeway picked up another data padd.

Smiling, Vice Admiral Janeway said, "Captain, I think you will find your first officer as unique an individual as you are. Ada, will you please report to the bridge." Data wondered how his first officer was going to be able to respond to Vice Admiral Janeway's request as she did not use her communicator.

A second later, however, a female human walked through the door. Ada stood at exactly 1.75 meters tall, with broad shoulders and slender body. Data thought her hair style was of an old era, one that reminded him of women's hair from his Sherlock Holmes Holograms, Earth in the early 1800s to be more precise. Ada had fair skin with almost unnaturally bright blue eyes. As Ada approached Data, he took note in the precision of her steps, as he she were a machine, however Data could not hear any motors or servos operating with his enhanced hearing. Ada walked over to the desk where Captain Data was sitting, offering her hand to her new captain.

Data accepted her hand as she started to introduce herself in a voice Data had already heard. "Captain Data, it's nice to meet you in person. I apologize that I could not answer your questions more throughly while you were in Transporter Room 2; I was busy helping Hugh repair the damaged holographic emitters."

Data, letting go of Ada's hand, immediately asked her, "Ada, what is your rank and are you a hologram that has been programmed into the computer?"

Vice Admiral Janeway answered the question before Ada was able to respond. "Captain, Ada is not a hologram programmed into the computer, but rather the humanoid representation of the ship's computer. Her rank is Commander and she is your first officer. Ada decided on her name and image herself. We felt that for Ada to be a unique individual, she should be allowed to chose her name and what her appearance would be." (I hope you're going to draw parallels between Ada and Lal. With a setup like that, it seems inevitable.) (Honestly I don't remember that episode!!! I need to go back and watch it again. )

Turning his attention back from Vice Admiral Janeway to Commander Ada, he searched his data banks for a person in history who would match the computer's appearance. Finding the answer, Data asked Ada, "Commander Ada, did you pick your name and image from Ada Lovelace from Earth? Ada Lovelace was considered to be the first programmer from Earth, programming nearly a century before the electronic computer was developed."

Commander Ada smiled at her captain as she responded, "Yes, Captain. I thought that since my current computer core, at its basic state of operations, could run the programs that Ada Lovelace designed, that I would take her name and shape in honor of what she was able to achieve at such as low level of technology. As you have probably deduced, there are holographic emitters on every level of the _Phantom_ and on the outer hull which allow me to make repairs on the outer hull as well. As for my name, its just Ada similar to your name just being Data. The Vice Admiral still won't tell me which Fleet Admiral named this vessel however." Ada turned her attention to the Vice Admiral Janeway and asked, "Are you ever going to tell me? I really didn't mean to startle the Fleet Admirals when they came to check on the progress of the vessel while we were still in spacedock."

Vice Admiral Janeway started to laugh before regaining some of her poise, and turned to the _Phantom_'s confused captain, stating, "Captain Data, just so you are not out of the loop, on the initial tour of this vessel that I gave the Fleet Admirals, we had just activated Ada. However, I hadn't had a chance to inform the Fleet Admirals. About halfway through the tour, Ada appeared, out of thin air and without making a sound, in front of them, introducing herself. Also, her clothing and ethics subroutines were not yet activated, so Ada was also nude. Needless to say, even for such high ranking officers, most of them were unnerved by the appearance of Ada. A few days later, they agreed the name of the vessel should be the _Phantom_ as the vessel's computer has a mind of its own and can silently surprise you when you least expect it."

Ada continued where Vice Admiral Janeway left off. "I can instantly transfer myself anywhere on this vessel. However, since that incident, I try to leave and enter a room as a normal officer would before transferring myself to my destination, so as to not cause such a response from anyone again. I did apologize to the Fleet Admirals. I did not realize at the time how they would react to me just appearing in front of them. In my defense, I was only 3 days old," stated Ada as another chair materialized and she took a seat.

Vice Admiral Janeway waited for Ada to sit down before she continued in a more serious tone, "Captain, I have your first mission for you. Now that Reman threat has been eliminated, I want you to travel to the Devolin system's asteroid field to continue completions of the twin warp drive system before . . . enlisting the rest of your crew. Chief Engineer Hugh can fill you in on his progress so far with the twin warp drive setup. Lieutenant Commander Saarn can inform you on anything you need to know about the ship's design or configuration and Ada can fill in all the rest for you. Please keep me apprised of updates to any progress that you make. If you need anything else, please send a message with a bi-fractal encryption, which Lieutenant Commander Saarn or Commander Ada can show you. Vice Admiral Janeway out."

Captain Data, Commander Ada and Lientenant Commander Saarn all stood up from their chairs and nodded respectfully at Vice Admiral Janeway before the viewscreen went blank. Saarn walked out from behind the desk, motioning for Data to take a seat in his newly assigned ready room. As Data sat down, he motioned for Saarn and Ada to do the same. None of the occupants in the room made a sound as the shuffle of seats took place.

Data turned to his science officer asking, "Lieutenant Commander Saarn, would you mind if address you as Saarn instead of your full rank?"

Saarn seemed to ponder a moment over the question presented before replying, "That would be agreeable, Captain".

Data then asked, "Do you have anything that would require your attention at your post?"

"Yes, captain, I have had to suspend helping Hugh with his calibrations since we left space dock, and I have had to post pone some of my duties as Science Officer that I need to complete." answered Saarn.

"Then, Saarn, please return to your duties. Also set a course for the Devolin system at Warp 3," commanded Data.

Saarn replied, "Yes, Captain" as she stood up and walked out in almost perfect silence. As the door to the captain's ready room closed, Data turned back to his first officer, still sitting in front of him. Data had never thought his life would change this quickly and drastically in a matter of hours. He turned off his emotion chip once he started feeling the sadness of knowing he would never be able to interact with his friends from the _Enterprise_ again.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry about the huge delay, this story is not dead just got put on the back burner for a couple of months. Review and let me know what you think. I will be post more chapters soon. Chapter 3 will be in another week or two. So look for Chapter 3 next week. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story._

_Also special thanks to my beta Le'Letha. Without Le'Letha's wonderful insight and grammatical knowledge this story would not be nearly as good as it is now. _

_I do not own anything in the Star Trek universe, I am just having some fun with it. _


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